In this parent-child game, Cedric's family won first place in everything, receiving a large stack of prizes prepared by the school.
By the time it ended, it was already one in the afternoon.
Parents walked their children toward the entrance, while a few little girls didn't want to leave.
Catriona smiled as she looked at the little girls trailing behind her son.
"Cedric, let's go play."
"Cedric, I have lots of yummy snacks and fun toys at my house. Want to come over?"
The moment Cedric saw them, his sweet demeanor from around his mom vanished. With a serious little face, furrowed brows, and tightly pressed lips, he declared, "I'm not going."
"Why not, Cedric?" asked a little girl in a pink dress, her voice sweet as honey. She turned to Catriona and added, "Lady-Miss, you're so pretty!"
Lady-Miss?
Catriona chuckled, "Thank you, sweetheart. You're very cute too."
The girl, already feeling comfortable, tugged gently on Catriona's shirt. "Lady-Miss, can Cedric come over to my house and play?"
"I can't make the decision either." Catriona looked at her son and said, "I'm listening to him too."
What she meant was that if her son wanted to play at this classmate's house, she had no objections.
But she wouldn't agree on his behalf.
When the girls heard this, they all gasped, "Cedric is amazing, even his mom listens to him!"
"..."
It seemed her son was quite popular.
At the school gate.
Lucian looked down at the little girl, then over to where Cedric was surrounded by girls, and sighed, "Let's go home. Be good."
His cousin had already hurried back to work at the office.
"He's going to be taken away!" The little girl stomped her foot, glaring at Cedric in annoyance. "He never comes to play with me. I hate him now."
"Why wait for him to come to you?" Lucian patted her head gently. "You can go find him yourself."
"Then what about you, Dad?" The little girl looked up suddenly, gazing at him seriously. "Why don't you go find Miss Catriona? Are you waiting for her to come to you too?"
Lucian was stunned by her sudden remark.
He didn't know whether he was surprised by her maturity at her age or by the content of her words.
Anna hummed again, "Miss Catriona is going to be taken too, right? Is that giant man her boyfriend?"
Lucian's usually calm expression turned stiff.
He pursed his lips slightly, looking ahead at the tall man beside Catriona.
Amusingly, the girl was right. He hadn't seen Catriona in a month.
Over a month ago, Catriona had seriously rejected him again, and they'd cleared the air completely. He'd felt a bit resentful that time, so he didn't go looking for her or contact her.
Yet, there was a glimmer of hope in his heart, hoping she would come to him first.
Instead, before he heard from her, he saw her here at the kindergarten.
Could that man be Cedric's biological father?
What was their relationship now? Were they married? He should politely step back, but...
Lucian watched from a distance as Catriona smiled at the girls, and he wished he could bring that smile home.
So, he took the little girl's hand and said, "Alright, let's be proactive then."
Anna hummed again but didn't refuse.
Catriona turned her head and saw Lucian and Anna.
"Anna's been asking to play with Cedric," Lucian said. "Let me treat you to dinner. The kids haven't seen each other in a while; let's let them catch up."
After he finished, he could clearly feel a cold gaze on him. Lucian tried his best to maintain an appropriate smile.
Who is this man? His presence was overwhelming. Though he considered himself well-acquainted with various types of people, he'd never met anyone who, with just a gaze—barely even that, just a pair of visible eyes—could make his nerves tighten, putting him on edge as if facing an imminent threat.
It was as if he were being stared down by a fierce beast.
Only one person had ever given him such an oppressive feeling, and he'd only met him once.
Lucian suddenly paused, his gaze falling on Cedric's small face.
Three seconds later, a trace of disbelief and understanding crossed his eyes.
He had a good guess as to who this man was.
Anna tightened her grip on her father's hand, her beautiful eyes staring at Cedric. "Hey, Cedric, are you coming? Let's go play."
Catriona hadn't expected Lucian to suggest dinner. They hadn't seen each other in over a month and hadn't been in contact. Had he really given up?
Was he simply trying to let the kids play together now?
If her son wanted to go, she had no objections.
The next second, she saw the silent man beside her pick up the cub and ask, "Shall we go home? Okay?"
He took a few steps to the side and whispered something to the cub.
Catriona didn't know what they were saying. She only saw her son turn back, blinking his big eyes at her, and then nodding.
Hmm?
Catriona was taken aback.
Roderick, holding the cub, looked at her and said, "Let's go. The cub wants to go home."
"Honey, do you want to go home?"
Cedric nodded and answered seriously, "Yes."
"Then, Lucian, we..."
Lucian looked at Catriona and said good-naturedly, "Then let's meet up again when we have time; Anna has been thinking about Cedric."
"Alright."
Roderick raised an eyebrow when he heard this.
The family of three left the kindergarten, got in the car, and Roderick remained silent the whole way, lost in thought.
When they arrived at Luna Palace, Catriona had a quick bite downstairs, then, upon entering the room, couldn't resist asking her son.
"What did your dad just say to you?"
"Dad said you're already tired, so it'd be better to go home, eat something, and take a nap."
"..."
Catriona thought to herself: Is she tired? She didn't even realize she was tired.
It was probably Roderick who didn't want to go out for a meal. But if he didn't want to go, he could simply leave without making up an excuse involving her.
"And what about you? Don't you want to play with Anna? It's been a while since you two met."
Cedric glanced at the flowers in the glass vase and replied, "Doesn't matter."
Catriona was surprised. "I thought you two were close. You used to play together a lot."
Back then, they often saw Lucian, who would bring Anna along. The two kids were the same age and naturally played together.
Cedric opened a small box, looked at the little gift his dad had given him, and said, "It's because of that Mr. Campbell that my relationship with her is okay."
?
Catriona was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
This little guy—what's going on in his head?
Cedric blinked his big, dark eyes and looked at her. "Don't you already have a dad? So you don't need Mr. Campbell, right?""
????
Huh?
Catriona stared at her son for a moment, shocked that he understood so much at such a young age!
He meant that when Lucian was pursuing her, he would play with Anna so their relationship could be better.
Now that his mom had a dad, she didn't need other men pursuing her.
Their current life made her son naturally misunderstand.
Anyone in his position would have misunderstood.
Catriona opened her mouth, then decided to clarify, "Sweetie, your dad and I aren't in that kind of relationship."
In half a year, they would be going their separate ways.
Cedric thought for a moment, then asked her, "You don't like Dad?"
Catriona felt a bit awkward. "Uh...no."
Cedric gave a small "Oh." "I get it. So if Mr. Campbell asks me to go out to eat again, I'll say yes."
Catriona:...?
No, what exactly do you understand?
You don't understand at all!!
